Lodwar: Turkana County government and KESHI Limited have joined hands towards enhanced health laboratory services through referral of laboratory samples by use of cost-efficient digitized cooler boxes. The 12-month program supported by KESHI Ltd and funded by Global Fund sets to utilize lab 'riders' to deploy cooler boxes that will improve timely referral of samples from far-flung rural health centres including Loima, Turkana North, Turkana West, Turkana South to Turkana Central, and from Turkana Central hub to national labs in Eldoret and Nairobi counties.
According to Kenya News Agency, speaking during a consultative meeting held in Lodwar Town, the County Director for Medical Services, Dr. Ekiru Kidalio, highlighted the importance of the technological intervention, saying that it will minimize time referrals samples are delivered to the laboratories thus ensuring timely results allowing for timely as well as reliable and accurate diagnosis for effective treatment.
The County Laboratory Services Coordinator, Alice Nataaba, noted that the intervention will play a crucial role in ensuring access to quality care by refining patient care as it enables timely and accurate test results, prompting quick diagnosis and treatment decisions to be made.
KESHI Assistant Director, George Mochama, said that the program will seek to support 24 health facilities; Lodwar County Referral Hospital hub, Kanamkemer, Lokichar, Katilu, Elelea, Lokori, Kakuma Sub-County Hospital, Kakuma Mission Hospital, Lopiding, Lorugum, Natukobenyo, Amusait, Naduat, Makutano, Kaikor, Lokitaung', Lorugum, and Kaapoka among others.
While sensitizing the riders, Turkana Central Sub-County, Medical Laboratory Coordinator, Peter Segut, encouraged the riders to minimize time between sample collections and processing so as to reduce the risk of human error and contamination. The cooler boxes come with special systems that help keep track of the temperature and condition of the samples during transportation. This means that important samples such as those used to test for cancer, disease outbreaks, and blood conditions, can be safely and quickly sent across the County without being damaged or giving false results.
In attendance were Deputy Director for Medical Services, Dr. Bonventure Ameyo, Deputy Director Nursing, Alice Akalapatan, Deputy Director Clinical Services, Samuel Lokemer, County AIDS and STI Coordinator, Samuel Pulkol, and KESHI County Coordinator, Alex Ochola.